| Revision as of 09:44, 29 December 2002 editThe Anome (talk | contribs)Edit filter managers, Administrators253,266 edits Compare with the role-playing hobby of micronationalism.← Previous edit | Revision as of 10:02, 29 December 2002 edit undoThe Anome (talk | contribs)Edit filter managers, Administrators253,266 edits merged the two articlesNext edit → | ||
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| The term '''micronation''' has come to be used, in recent years, to describe entities which bear a resemblance to independent ]s. Characteristically, micronations have a defined (if very small) geographic territory which will usually not be recognized by the vast majority of the traditional ]. |
The term '''micronation''' has come to be used, in recent years, to describe entities which bear a resemblance to independent ]s. Characteristically, micronations have a defined (if very small) geographic territory which will usually not be recognized by the vast majority of the traditional ]. | ||
| Other groups also describe themselves as "micronations" as part of a role-playing game or hobby activity: see below. | |||
| Many micronations base their legitimacy on historical anomalies or eccentric interpretations of laws. Most have an ephemeral existence, but at least one, ], traces its history back at least 1,000 years. The population, of such states, is often only a handful of individuals. Many have established a website to promote their legitimacy. | Many micronations base their legitimacy on historical anomalies or eccentric interpretations of laws. Most have an ephemeral existence, but at least one, ], traces its history back at least 1,000 years. The population, of such states, is often only a handful of individuals. Many have established a website to promote their legitimacy. | ||
| == Micronations in earnest == | |||
| Less easy to dismiss as frivolous are micronations that maintain actual claims to territory, and some of these have been operating successfully for decades. Examples include ] (a farm in ] which claims to have seceded from ] and to be an independent ]) with an alleged worldwide population measured in the tens of thousands, and ] (a ]-era antiaircraft platform built in the ], beyond Britain's nautical limit and currently leased as a secure web-hosting facility). Others such as ] have overtly libertarian political leanings and plans to construct artificial island territories, and yet others claim to be redefining existing paradigms through the application of such notions as "non-territorial sovereignty" and are motivated by a range progressive socio-political reform agendas. | Less easy to dismiss as frivolous are micronations that maintain actual claims to territory, and some of these have been operating successfully for decades. Examples include ] (a farm in ] which claims to have seceded from ] and to be an independent ]) with an alleged worldwide population measured in the tens of thousands, and ] (a ]-era antiaircraft platform built in the ], beyond Britain's nautical limit and currently leased as a secure web-hosting facility). Others such as ] have overtly libertarian political leanings and plans to construct artificial island territories, and yet others claim to be redefining existing paradigms through the application of such notions as "non-territorial sovereignty" and are motivated by a range progressive socio-political reform agendas. | ||
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| The study of micronations is included in "micropatrology", a field defined in 1973 as "the study of small and little-known nations and territories". Micropatrologists have studied, informally, "anything below Luxembourg" that has a real territorial existence, including diplomatically recognized countries like ], historical oddities like the ], ], the ], or ], as well as certain current micronations. | The study of micronations is included in "micropatrology", a field defined in 1973 as "the study of small and little-known nations and territories". Micropatrologists have studied, informally, "anything below Luxembourg" that has a real territorial existence, including diplomatically recognized countries like ], historical oddities like the ], ], the ], or ], as well as certain current micronations. | ||
| == Micronations as a role-playing game == | |||
| '''Micronationalism''', or Model-Nations, or Nation-Building, is a role-playing ] activity based on creating a social organization along the lines of a ]. Micronationalism is an activity as old as ] itself, if we consider the first human communities began exactly the way micronations do: a group of people gathering to form a social organization that will eventually lead to a State. Micronationalism should not be confused with ]s, which are distinguished by de-facto control of territory or recognition by other nations. | |||
| It should be noted that most, if not all, "'']s''" of these make-believe nations do have some form of citizenship in an official nation-state, regardless of their own personal recognition of the parent-state's sovereignty. | |||
| Micronations (or model-nations, or microstates) as a household hobby started being developed more quickly with the appearance of Ely-Chaitlin, in California (USA), in the 1960s, a principality founded by Marc Eric Ely. Later, in 1979, by Ely's inspiration, then kid Robert Ben Madison, 13, founded in Milwaukee a country which territory was his own house: the Kingdom of Talossa. | |||
| During the 1980s decade, micronations spread out in ], ], ], and ]. With the advent of ], micronations from all over the world were able to communicate and started an intense integration process. In 1992, the first micronation in Latin America was founded: Porto Claro. The founding father, Pedro Aguiar, published his nation on the Internet from 1996 on, and then took the largest step to the establishment of more micronations, in Brazil and in other countries, all of them based upon the Portoclarian standard of organization. In a few years, there were already hundreds of recorded micronations in all the continents, with about 20% of them Lusophones (]-speaking). | |||
| Other examples of fantasy/online micronations which exist primarily in the imagination of, or for the entertainment of their members include: | |||
| * Porto Claro | |||
| * Kingdom of Talossa http://www.talossa.net/ | |||
| * The Kingdom of Bucksfan | |||
| * Lavalon | |||
| * Taemoe | |||
| Some of those involved in micronationalism call themselves '''Fifth World nations'''. The term is by analogy with the term "]", and is not recognised by others outside the micronationalism community. | |||
| Proponents of the Fifth World school of thought argue that there is a vast difference between micronations and Fifth World nations. | |||
| Those not associated with this movement regard this as another name for Internet-based (or ''paper'') nations, and tend to use the term "micronation" to refer to all such organizations. Proponents of the "Fifth World" school of thought argue that there is a vast difference between micronations and Fifth World nations, but have not so far defined what the alleged difference entails. | |||
| "Fifth Worlders" state that they represent a rising ]. Many critics view them as ]s, while others believe that they represent some kind of ]. | |||
| Available evidence suggests that the "Fifth World" concept is chiefly the creation of a single United States resident - one Cesidio Tallini - and that the "Fifth World" itself consists of nothing more than a range of websites authored by Tallini and containing content that is obscure to the point of incomprehensibility. | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
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| * Principality of Sealand http://www.fruitsofthesea.demon.co.uk/sealand/ | * Principality of Sealand http://www.fruitsofthesea.demon.co.uk/sealand/ | ||
| * Hutt River Province Principality http://home.vicnet.net.au/~huttrivr/ | * Hutt River Province Principality http://home.vicnet.net.au/~huttrivr/ | ||
| Other claimed micronations include: | |||
| * Empire of Pacifica (PAX) - http://www.pacifica.co.pt - http://pax.nation-state.org | |||
Revision as of 10:02, 29 December 2002
The term micronation has come to be used, in recent years, to describe entities which bear a resemblance to independent states. Characteristically, micronations have a defined (if very small) geographic territory which will usually not be recognized by the vast majority of the traditional nation-states. Other groups also describe themselves as "micronations" as part of a role-playing game or hobby activity: see below.
Many micronations base their legitimacy on historical anomalies or eccentric interpretations of laws. Most have an ephemeral existence, but at least one, Seborga, traces its history back at least 1,000 years. The population, of such states, is often only a handful of individuals. Many have established a website to promote their legitimacy.
Micronations in earnest
Less easy to dismiss as frivolous are micronations that maintain actual claims to territory, and some of these have been operating successfully for decades. Examples include Hutt River Province (a farm in Western Australia which claims to have seceded from Australia and to be an independent principality) with an alleged worldwide population measured in the tens of thousands, and Sealand (a WWII-era antiaircraft platform built in the English channel, beyond Britain's nautical limit and currently leased as a secure web-hosting facility). Others such as New Utopia have overtly libertarian political leanings and plans to construct artificial island territories, and yet others claim to be redefining existing paradigms through the application of such notions as "non-territorial sovereignty" and are motivated by a range progressive socio-political reform agendas.
It may sometimes be difficult to distinguish between micronations and imaginary countries.
The study of micronations is included in "micropatrology", a field defined in 1973 as "the study of small and little-known nations and territories". Micropatrologists have studied, informally, "anything below Luxembourg" that has a real territorial existence, including diplomatically recognized countries like San Marino, historical oddities like the Kingdom of Tavolara, Counani, the Rose Island, or Amb, as well as certain current micronations.
Micronations as a role-playing game
Micronationalism, or Model-Nations, or Nation-Building, is a role-playing hobby activity based on creating a social organization along the lines of a nation. Micronationalism is an activity as old as politics itself, if we consider the first human communities began exactly the way micronations do: a group of people gathering to form a social organization that will eventually lead to a State. Micronationalism should not be confused with micronations, which are distinguished by de-facto control of territory or recognition by other nations.
It should be noted that most, if not all, "citizens" of these make-believe nations do have some form of citizenship in an official nation-state, regardless of their own personal recognition of the parent-state's sovereignty.
Micronations (or model-nations, or microstates) as a household hobby started being developed more quickly with the appearance of Ely-Chaitlin, in California (USA), in the 1960s, a principality founded by Marc Eric Ely. Later, in 1979, by Ely's inspiration, then kid Robert Ben Madison, 13, founded in Milwaukee a country which territory was his own house: the Kingdom of Talossa.
During the 1980s decade, micronations spread out in Australia, New Zealand, United States, and Europe. With the advent of world wide web, micronations from all over the world were able to communicate and started an intense integration process. In 1992, the first micronation in Latin America was founded: Porto Claro. The founding father, Pedro Aguiar, published his nation on the Internet from 1996 on, and then took the largest step to the establishment of more micronations, in Brazil and in other countries, all of them based upon the Portoclarian standard of organization. In a few years, there were already hundreds of recorded micronations in all the continents, with about 20% of them Lusophones (Portuguese-speaking).
Other examples of fantasy/online micronations which exist primarily in the imagination of, or for the entertainment of their members include:
- Porto Claro
- Kingdom of Talossa http://www.talossa.net/
- The Kingdom of Bucksfan
- Lavalon
- Taemoe
Some of those involved in micronationalism call themselves Fifth World nations. The term is by analogy with the term "Fourth World", and is not recognised by others outside the micronationalism community.
Proponents of the Fifth World school of thought argue that there is a vast difference between micronations and Fifth World nations.
Those not associated with this movement regard this as another name for Internet-based (or paper) nations, and tend to use the term "micronation" to refer to all such organizations. Proponents of the "Fifth World" school of thought argue that there is a vast difference between micronations and Fifth World nations, but have not so far defined what the alleged difference entails.
"Fifth Worlders" state that they represent a rising New World Order. Many critics view them as fantasists, while others believe that they represent some kind of cult.
Available evidence suggests that the "Fifth World" concept is chiefly the creation of a single United States resident - one Cesidio Tallini - and that the "Fifth World" itself consists of nothing more than a range of websites authored by Tallini and containing content that is obscure to the point of incomprehensibility.
External links
Examples of claimed micronations whose existence in the "real" world can be independently verified include:
- Principality of Sealand http://www.fruitsofthesea.demon.co.uk/sealand/
- Hutt River Province Principality http://home.vicnet.net.au/~huttrivr/
Other claimed micronations include:
- Empire of Pacifica (PAX) - http://www.pacifica.co.pt - http://pax.nation-state.org